Amalgamator.



No. 650,58l. Patented May 29, |900. A. M. ERNSBEBGER. AMALGAMATUB.

(Application fxleday 7, 1897.2 Renewed Oct. 31, 1899,)

3 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

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me Noms persas c No. 650,58I. Patented May 29, |900. A. M. ERNSBERGER.

AMALGAMATOR.

(Application led May 7, 1897. Renewed Oct-31, 1899.)

(No Model.) v l 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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No. 650,58I. Patented May 29,1900.

A. M. ERNSBERGER.

AMALGAMATOR.

(Application flied May 7, 1897. Renewed Oct. 31, 1899.) (No Model.) 3Sheets-Sheet 3.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIGE.

ANDREW M. ERNSBERGER, NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALE TO ARTEMASWARD, OF SAME PLACE.

AMALGAMATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 650,381, dated May 29,1900. Application liled May 7, 1897. Renewed October 31, 1899. SerialNo. 735,424. (No inodel.)

T all whom/ it rmty concern.-

Be it known that I, ANDREW MYEENs-V BERGER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Amalgamators;and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart t`o which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing-had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of ref--panying drawings, where like parts are designated by similarreference-figures in every View.

Figure lis a side elevation, Fig. 2 is a plan, Fig. 3 is an endelevation, and Fig. 4 is a halfplan, of the disintegratitlg-cylinder.Fig. 5 is an elevation in cross-section of the disintegrating-cylinderon line A B, Fig. l. Fig. 6 is a plan of disintegrating-rod clamps. Fig.7 is an elevation of the same. Fig. 8 is an elevation ofdisntegrating-shaft, showing its step and step-holder in section. Fig. 9is an elevation of one end of the distributcrs with one holder. Fig.10-is an end view of the same. Fig. ll is aceutral vertical longitudinalsection.

My machine has a general framework formed by cross-subsills l, uponwhich the structure is supported upon the ground and upon whichlongitudinal sills 2 are placed at each side. Attached thereto andrising` therefrom are posts 3 4c 5 6 7 upon each side of the machine andcarrying longitudinal` stringpieces 8 9 upon each side, the two sideframes thus constructed being connected and 4held to each other bysuitable cross-sills, and the side frames have braces 212,2. However,this exact construction need vnot be closely followed, as some of itsmembers might be omitted or differently disposed, it only beingessential to substantially support my mechanism upon a suitableframework, which is shown made of wood, such being deemed suitable and 55 preferable as saving expense in transporting the framework, if ofmet-al, from points remote from its place of erection and use.

Supported near one end of the framework is a drum 23 upon a shaft 24,revolving in 6o bearings .25, formed toA be movably seated upon supports26, secured to the framework at each end of the drum 23. Adjusting-screws 27 are attached to the bearings 25 and are thereafterfixedly secured to the framework at their opposite e'nd by brackets 28,collars 29 being upon the screws inside of the brackets 28 andhand-wheels 30 being upon the screws 27 outside of the brackets 28, thusfixing the screws in stationary position on the 7o frame, so that byturning the hand-wheel the screw moves the bearing, its shaft, and thedrum toward or from the bracket, according to which way the screw isturned to the right or left. The drum 23, it will be seen, extendsacross the machine, but within the framework. At the opposite end of theframework from drum 23 I place another drum 31, of the same dimensionsas drum 23, mounted upon a shaft 32, secured in boxes 34, seated upon 8othe framework in fixed position. Upon these drums 23 3l I place anamalgamated belt 33,

of copper or other suitable material, its top running in the directionfrom 3l to 23, as show n bythe arrow in Fig. 1. Upon the outer side ofbelt 33 at each edge I attach thereto dams 35, preferably made ofrubber. Upon one end of shaft 32 I place a pulley 36, and outside ofwhich I place another pulley 37, which is run from the source of powerand 9o drives all of my mechanism.

Mounted upon string-pieces 9 and secured p thereto above shaft 32, butbeyond its vertical line, are supports 38, to which is secured across-piece 39, preferably a T-iron, on which rests a verticaldisintegrating-cylinder 40,'havinga cover 4l over its top. Within thedisintegrating-cylinder 40, near its lower inner side, I secure asegmental ring 4t2, having recessed pockets 43 at its upper and outerside, roo there being preferably four pockets in each segment. At thejunction of the segments there are formed other recessed pockets 44,

one-half of each pocket being in each adjoin ing segment. Vithin thereduction-cylinder at its upper end is secured another segmental ring45, having preferably four vertical slots 46 therethrough in eachsegment at its outer side and at the junction of the segments othervertical slot-s 47, they being formed with onehalf in each adjoiningsegment. Bars 4 8 of rectangular section are placed into each slot 46and, passing downward, en ter and are seated and rest in the pockets 43in segmental ring 42 and preferably coming flush with the top ofsegmental ring 45 and disintegratingcylinder 40. Vithin slots 47 andseated in pockets 44 are breaker-bars 49, reaching from pockets 44 tothe top of slots 47 and having thereon upon the inner side projectingfingers 50, reaching inwardly toward the center of thedisintegratiug-cylinder 40 and spaced somewhat apart along the bars 49.The disintegrating-cylinder 40 will be secured in vertical position bysupports 51, secured to the framework.

VMounted upon the cross-piece 39 at the center of the lower end ofdisintegrating-cylinder 40 is a step-bearing 52, within which is seateda step 53, in which rests the'lower end of a vertical shaft 54. Abovethe step 53 on the shaft 54 is secured a collar 55, on which rests apair of washerclamps 56, having rightangular grooves 57 within theiradjoining sides, wherein are placed rods 58, extending outwardly atright angles to each other and nearly approaching bars 48 49. Within thecylinder 40 the washer-clamps 56 are provided with a central hole 59 tofit over the part of the shaft 54 from above collar 55 to clampnut 60,which is at this part of rectangular n section, to prevent clamp-washers56 from turning on the shaft. There are several pairs of washer-clamps56 and rods 58 on the shaft 54, spaced apart by thimbles 61, surroundingthe shaft 54 and of the proper length to eau se rods 58 to pass aboutmidway between fingers 50 of bars 49, all being tightly clamped toposition by nut 60. Above nut 60 a bearing 62 is secured, as seen inFig. 3, to frame member 63 and in which the shaft 54 is guided and run.Above bearing 62 a pulley 64 is secured tov shaft 54, and thereon is runa quarter-turn belt 65, which passes outward over pulleys 66 67, held bybrackets 68 69, secured to framepiece 70, and thereafter belt passesdownward and over pulley 36, secured to shaft 32. A shield 7l isattached to shaft 54 and extends down outside of the upper part ofstepbearing 52 to exclude anysubstance from coming in contact therewithand prevent any lubricating material from being thrown off.

AttheV lower end of disintegrating-cylinder.

46 are secured two nearly-semicircular downwardly-inclined chutes72,1ead-lined and having multiple tapering directing-ribs 73 therew ontoguide and equally distribute material from within cylinder 40 to belt33, aspace 74 being'left between the chutes 72 for the delivery of thematerial, which space extends across the entire width of belt 33 andbetween dams 35.

Above disintegrating-cylinder 40 a hopper 75 is secured to parts 76 77at either side of the framework. Within the hopper 75, across it nearits bottom, I place right and left hand screws 78 79 on a shaft 80,carried in bearings 81, one end of the shaft extending outward from thehopper and having thereon a sprocket-wheel 82 beyond the framework. Thescrews 78 79 whenv turned force outward the material placed or fed intothe hopper each way to the spouts 83 84, which are attached and openinto the bottom of the hopper 75 and thereafter extend downward throughthe cover 41 and into the disintegrating-cylinder 40, where they deliverthe material forced into them. Above the screws 78 79 are slides 85 86,which extend through the outer sides of the hopper 75 to enable them tobe moved to increase or decrease the space 87 between them, and thusregulate the amount of material fed to the screws 78 79. Above theslides 85 86 are inclnes 88 89, sloping toward the space 87 tofacilitate the liow of material by its own gravity.' The wheel 82 isrevolved by a sprocket-chain 90, also running over a sprocket-wheel 91,secured on shaft 32. Drum 23 and belt 33 are positively moved and inunison by sprocketwheels 92 on shaft 32 and 93 on shaft 24, connected bysprocket-chain 94. Near drum 33, somewhat below its center, I secure awater-tank 95 to the vframework and partially immerse a revolving brush96 therein, this brush being composed of multiple sections placed upon ashaft 97 and carried by arms 98 at each end, they being secured upon apivotal shaft 99, secured to the framework at a point vertically back ofthe center of brush 96. Thearms 98 extend outward beyond the frameworkand are provided with handles 100 and having slots 101, through whichand into the framework clamping-screws 102 are inserted, so that byforcing down the handles 100 the brush 96 will be carried against thebelt 33 as it runs over the drum 31. The brush 96, as shown, runs inwater lin tank 95 and projects a quantity of the water against the belt33 to wash it, theshaft 97 being driven byv pulley 103 upon its outerend, the pulley heilig moved by a belt 104, running over a pulley 105,fixed upon shaft 32. The brush 96 is also used to scour the belt 33, andwhen so used it is forced upward to form contact with the belt byhandles 100 and arms 98 and secured by screws 102 in slots 101. It maybe then driven by a crossed belt 106, which is placed over pulley 103and pulley 107 on shaft 32 inside of pulley 105, the belt 104 being atsuch time removed from its pulleys 103 105. The crossed belt 106 causesthe brush 96 to revolve in an opposite direction to that of amalgamatedbelt 33, against which it is forced. Partially covering brush 96 is ashield 108, secured to IIO any water or moisture lett on the belt 33after' passing the brush 96.

Upon theforward part of my machine and secured to pieces 9 of theframework are shafts 113, on which are fulcrumed supporting-levers 114,on which are supported rollers 116, made with a yielding surface, suchas rubber or other suitable material, the rollers extending across themachine above the amalga mated belt 33 and coming in contact with itsupper surface and being revolved thereby and of a length to pass withindams 35. Arms 115 are attached centrally on shafts 113., on'

which are placed counterweights 117, adapted to be moved on arms 115 toa desired distance to adjust the contact of rollers 116 to belt 33 toany required or requisite pressure. Under belt 33 are other rollers 118,over which belt 33 moves when pressed down by rollers 116.V Rollers 118are secured to shafts 119, j ournaled in bearings 120, secured to theframework. Front and back of the rollers 116 are placed dstributers 121,made of yielding material, reaching across from dam to darn, touchingbelt 33 at their lower edge and held in position by brackets 122, towhich they are secured and which are attached to and above frame members9.

Havingdescribed the means which I have employed to accomplish theresults I desire, I will now describe the operation of my mechanism.

The material bearing the line particles of precious metals having firstbeen subjected to a process exterior to my machine'to reduce it to adesired fineness, it is then introduced into the hopper 75 and slidesdown the inclines 88 89 into the space S7, the slides 85 86 beingmanipulated to admit a requisite or desirable amount through the space87 and to the right and left hand screws 78 79, by which it is thencarried outward to spouts 83 84 and through which it is conveyed intothe disintegrating-cylinder40. It is then caught by the rods 58, whichare revolved by shaft 54 at high velocity, and is thrown againstprojections 50 of bars 49 and against the rough corners of bars 48,surrounding the inner surface of the disintegrating-cylinder40, wherethe particles are disintegrated. They then descend to chutes 72 and aredistributed across the amalgamated belt 33 by the directing-ribs 73. Thebelt 33 will carry the particles outward and under rolls 116, which willpress the metallic vparticles to the amalgamated surface of the belt 33and there retain them. As the belt 33 moves by the4 brush v96 willproject water upon the belt-surface 33 in heaps and help to adjust themin au even thin layer to better enable the rolls 116 to press them tothe amalgamated surface, the better to enable a more certain securing oftheir contact with the amalgamated sur-Y face, and hence secure a largerrecovery of the gold from the sand than could otherwise be had.' At anydesirable time the machine may be stopped and the amalgamated belt becleared of its valuable deposit.

Whenever it is desired to scour the amalgamated belt 33 the cross-belt106 will be applied, 104 being removed, thus causing the brush 96torevolve in an opposite direction to belt 33, but at aslightly-lessened speed.

Having described the best means I am aware of ,to accomplish the purposeset forth, I

claim- 1. In an amalgamating-machine, a framework adapted to carryhorizontal revolving drums at a distance apart and above the same averticalV disintegrating-cylinder, an amalgamated belt upon the drumsand means for its driving, revolving and stationary disintegrating meanswithin the vertical cylinder, means to operate the same from the meansto run the amalgamated belt, means to introduce material into thedisintegrating-cylinder at .opposite sides, by feeding mechanism drivenfrom the drum-shaft, and in uniform and in IOO IOS

desired quantities, means to deliver the ma- A terial thereafter to theamalgamated belt, across its width, a plurality of means to press thematerial to the amalgamated belt as it passes from drum to drum anddistributers ateach side of the pressing means, substantially asdescribed and set forth.

2. In an amalgamating-machine, a pair of drums, one in xed position andone in mov- 'able position, a belt upon the drums, a cylinder above thebelt, a hopper above the cylin IIO der, feeding means within the hopperto de- I IZO and one in movable position and means for its moving',multiple rollers upon a belt run upon the drums,brackets upon theframework anddistributers, composed of continuous fiexible materialsecured to brackets so distributed as to place the distributers at eachside of the r0llers,in continuous stretch from bracket to bracket,reaching across the belt and adapted to continuous-ly touch the beltupon its ripper surface with their lower edge, s-ubstanti-ally asdescribed. Y

4. In an amalgamating-machine, a framework, a fixed and a movable drumthereon, a belt upon the drum, pressure-rollers above and,carrier-rollers below the belt, between the drums and pressing uponopposite sides o f the belt at the same point, the upper ones beingadapted to move to `or away from the belt, and means to cause themtopressA with greater or less degree upon the belt, distributers at eitherside of the upper rollers, secured to the framework and adapted fo touchthe belt but to yield under pressure and a flexible dam secured to eachouter edge of the belt, substantially as described.

5. In an a-malgamating-machine, a framework, drumsvcarred thereby forrevolving, one in fixed and one in shifting position, a belt upon thedrums, positive means to revolve the drums in unison, a water-receptacleadjacent to the fixed drum, a shaft journaled upon the framework abovethe receptacle, a revolving brush, yieldin gl y supported partiallyimmersed in the water, means upon the shaft to support the brush innormal position clear of the belt aforesaid,- means upon the arms toelevate the brush to the belt, means to hold it in such elevatedposition, or remove it from contact with the belt and means from thedrum-driving mechanism to revolve the brush, substantially as described.

6. In an amalgamating-'machine, a framework therefor, carrying drums anda belt, a water-tank and a brush therein, means to press the brush tothe beit or remove it from the belt, and a wringer-roller, suspendedfrom the framework in a manner to cause it to normally fall away fromthe belt by its own gravity, and means to move the wringer to and pressit against the 'belt or away from contact with the belt, as and for thepurposes set forth.

7. In an amalgamating-machine, a framework carrying drums positivelydriven and a belt thereon, a tank and a brush suspended from theframework to normally be partially immersed therein, means to move thebrush upward in the tank to or from the belt, and

a shield secu red to the elevating means and over the brush to preventits throwing water outwardly from the belt, substantially as described.

8. In an amalgamating-machine, a framework, drums carried thereon havinga belt connection,a disintegratingcylinder disposed above the belt, acentral vertical shaft therein, means to run the drums and the centralshaft and rods reaching outward from the central shaft arranged on andsecured to the shaft by clamp-collars having rectangular central holestherein and placed on a shaft of rectangular section, a collar` ateachside of each rod, a collar fixed on the shaft below the collars andtheir rods, a nut above the collars and their rods, and thimbles betweenthe pairs of rod-collars, and all clamped in place by the shaft-collarand nut aforesaid in manner set forth and substantially as described.

9. In an amalgamating-machine, a framework carrying drums having a beltthereon and a vertical disintegrating-cylinder, a shaft within thecylinder, rods reaching outward therefrom and secured thereto byclamp-collars, means to run the drums and the vertical shaft, segmentalrings secured within the cylinder near its upper and somewhat removedfrom its lower' end and rectangular bars secured thereby in a verticalposition within the cylinders inner wall, substantially as described. y

ro. In an amalgamating'maenne, a framework, drums carried thereby, abelt upon the drums, a disintegratn'g cylinder disposed above the belt,a shaft within the cylinder, means to move the drums and the shaft,rectangular bars held within the cylinder-walls and secured by segmentalrings at their upper and lowerv ends, and breaker-bars, havinginwardly-projecting fingers adapted and spaced to pass between thebreaker-bars, substantially as described. l

1l. In an amalgamating-machine, a framework carrying drums and adisintegratingcylinder, a belt upon the drums, ashaft within thecylinder and means 'to move the drums and the shaft, rectangular barsand breakerbars secured within the cylinder, rods upon the shaftintermeshing with fingers upon the breaker-bars and within the cylinderat its lower end, chutes oppositel y disposed and inclined and set apartto form a space between their adjacent edges, and in direction acrossthe belt aforesaid, substantially as described.

12. In an amalgamating-machine, a framework carrying drums and a beltthereon, a disintegrating-cylinder and a shaft therein, means to movethe drums, the belt, and the shaft, rectangular and breaker-bars securedwithin the drum', oppositely-inclined chutes located within thecylinder, at its lower part and so disposed as to form a delivery-spacebetween them, and at their lower part, and multiple directing ribsthereon, for the purpose and of the form substantially as described.

13. In an amalgamating-machine,aframework, and thereby held and carrieda pair of drums,one in movable, and one in fixed positions on the framesand means to positively revolve the drums by a chain belt connected to achain-wheel on each drum-shaft and independent of the belt carriedthereon supports upon the framework, and therein resting, and therebycarried, a cross-piece, a vertical disintegrating-cylinder supportedupon the cross-piece, a step-bearing centrally dis- IOO IlO

posed upon the cross-piece, a step therein, a shaft within the step, ashield secured upon the shaft at its upper end projecting down- Wardlyand outwardly over and clear of the step and its bearing,outwardly-projecting bars secured and clamped to the shaft, a bearing atthe shafts upper end secured to the framework and a pulley upon theshaft at its upper end, substantially as described.

14:. In an amalgamating-machine,drums located upon and supported by theframework of the machine, an amalgamated belt upon the drums, adisintegrating-cylinder upon the framework, a central shaft therein, ahopper above the cylinder, double inclines therein toward the centerthereof, and means driven from the drum-shaft aforesaid to graduallyremove the material fed to the hopper into spouts leading into thedisintegrating-cylinder, substantially as set forth.

15. In an amalgamating-machine,aframef work supporting drums carrying anamalgamated belt, a disintegrating-cylinder supported by the framework,above the belt and having a shaft therein and means for its driving fromthe drum-shaft, a hopper above the disintegrating-cylinder,doubleinclines inthe hopper centrally inclined and having a central spacebetween them, oppositely-disposed slides under the inclines to increaseor decrease the central space, a shaft within the hopper, right and'left hand screw-blades thereon, spouts from the hopper-bottom at theend of the screws and leading into the disintegrating-cylinder, andmeans to positively move the shaft and screw-blades, from the drum-shaftof the machine, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I afx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' ANDREW M. ERNSBERGER.

' IVitnesses:

GEO. vW. ELKINS, MILLARD C. ERNSBERGER.

